QUETTA, Aug 27: The family of Nawab Akbar Bugti and his Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) have decided to hold the funeral prayers for the late Baloch leader in the Sadiq Shaheed Ground here at 10am on Tuesday.

The Bugti family has asked the ruling Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Sayed to hand over the body of the Baloch leader for burial.

JWP secretary-general Senator Shahid Hassan Bugti, Information Secretary Amanullah Kanrani and Balochistan’s former chief minister Mir Humayun Marri announced the decision about funeral at a press conference at the Bugti House on Sunday evening.

Mr Kanrani said Chaudhry Shujaat had been contacted twice for the handing over of the body to the bereaved family.

He said two days had passed since the tragic incident took place and the government should hand over the body to heirs in accordance with Islamic teachings, tribal traditions and human values.

In reply to a question, he said Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza would be held in Quetta as scheduled even if the body was not handed over by the government. He asked sympathisers and supporters of the late leader to offer funeral prayers in their cities and towns on Tuesday.

Mr Kanrani did not answer political questions, saying it was against tribal traditions to talk about anything else till the burial.

Senator Shahid Hassan said Akbar Bugti had embraced martyrdom while fighting usurper forces in defence of the Baloch motherland.